To determine the cities where the game is always on regardless of season, WalletHub compared over 420 cities across more than 50 key metrics, ranging from performance level of the city’s team(s) to average ticket price per game. D.C. was ranked as the 8th best city for sports fans. (Image: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/DC Refined)

D.C. is the 8th best city for sports fans

To say that American love sports is an understatement. Nearly 75 percent of American adults claim to be sports fans, and we spend $69.4 billion annually supporting our teams. And if you've ever rocked the red, shown your Natitude or chanted HTTR, you know that D.C. is no exception to the sports fanaticism running rampant in this country. But not all cities are created equal for the sports crazed.

To determine the cities where the game is always on regardless of season, WalletHub compared over 420 cities across more than 50 key metrics, ranging from performance level of the city’s team(s) to average ticket price per game. D.C. was ranked as the 8th best city for sports fans.

Top 10 Large Cities for Sports Fans

Boston, MA

New York, NY

Los Angeles, CA

Pittsburgh, PA

Chicago, IL

Philadelphia, PA

Detroit, MI

Washington, DC

Dallas, TX

(tied at 9th) Atlanta, GA

Sports Fandom in Washington (1=Best; 211=Avg.)

7th – Soccer Rank

15th – Hockey Rank

19th – Basketball Rank

19th – Baseball Rank

25th – Football Rank

Is anyone else more than a little surprised that our soccer rankings far outrank our love of football, or even hockey, here in D.C.? Although I have to give it to the DCU fans, they are a rabidly loyal fan base!

A few sports-related fun facts:

New Orleans has the lowest average ticket price for an NBA game, $30.20, which is 3.2 times lower than in New York, the city with the highest at $97.77.

NHL fans in Pittsburgh are 27.2 times friendlier and more engaged than their New York counterparts.

Charlotte, North Carolina, has the highest NFL team popularity-index, whereas San Francisco has the lowest.

Phoenix has the lowest average season MLB ticket price, $18.53, which is three times lower than in Boston, the city with the highest at $54.79.

Orlando, Florida, has the highest attendance rate for MLS games, 122.84 percent, which is 1.8 times higher than in Dallas, the city with the lowest at 68.75 percent.

You can see the full study and ranking of sports-loving midsize and small cities here.

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